INTRODUCTION
This Rule 13e-3 transaction statement on Schedule 13E-3, together with the exhibits hereto (this “Schedule” or “Transaction Statement”), is being filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) pursuant to Section 13(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), jointly by the following persons (each, a “Filing Person,” and collectively, the “Filing Persons”): (a) Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., an Israeli company (“Taro” or the “Company”) and the issuer of the ordinary shares, nominal (par) value NIS 0.0001 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), that is subject to the transaction pursuant to Rule 13e-3 under the Exchange Act; (b) Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, a corporation organized under the laws of India (“Sun Pharma”); (c) Alkaloida Chemical Company Zrt., a corporation organized under the laws of Hungary and under the control of Sun Pharma (“Alkaloida”); (d) The Taro Development Corporation, a corporation organized under the laws of New York and under the control of Sun Pharma (“TDC”); (e) Sun Pharma Holdings, a corporation organized under the laws of Mauritius and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Sun Pharma (“SPH”); and (f) Libra Merger Ltd., an Israeli company under the control of Sun Pharma and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Alkaloida, TDC and SPH (“Merger Sub”).
This Schedule relates to the Agreement of Merger, dated as of January 17, 2024 (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among Sun Pharma, Alkaloida, TDC, SPH, Merger Sub and Taro. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, and upon the terms and subject to the conditions thereof, Merger Sub will be merged with and into Taro (the “Merger”), and each outstanding Ordinary Share (other than such shares held by Sun Pharma and its affiliates or Taro and subsidiaries of Taro) will be converted into the right to receive $43.00 in cash, without interest and subject to any applicable withholding taxes. Sun Pharma, Alkaloida, TDC, and SPH expect to fund the aggregate merger consideration and all related fees and expenses with cash on hand, borrowings or a combination thereof. The Merger remains subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement. In order for the Merger to be completed, the Merger Agreement, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (the “Transactions”) must be approved and adopted by the (a) affirmative vote of at least 75% of the voting power of Taro present and voting at the extraordinary general meeting in person or by proxy, including at least a majority of the voting power held by holders other than Sun Pharma and its affiliates, their relatives, persons voting on their behalf or any other holders having a personal interest (under the Israeli Companies Law 5759-1999, as amended, and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder) in the Merger and voting thereon (the “Interested Shareholders”), unless the total voting power held by shareholders other than the Interested Shareholders and voting against the merger does not exceed 2% of the total voting power of the Company; (b) the affirmative vote of at least 75% of the ordinary shares present and voting at the ordinary class meeting in person or by proxy; and (c) the affirmative vote of at least 75% of the founders’ shares (the “Founder Shares”) present and voting at the founders class meeting in person or by proxy.
Sun Pharma, Alkaloida, TDC, SPH and their respective Affiliates have agreed to vote or cause to be voted any and all Ordinary Shares and Founder Shares (a) beneficially owned by Sun Pharma, Alkaloida, TDC, SPH or their respective Affiliates or (b) with respect to which they have the power (by agreement, proxy or otherwise) to cause to be voted in favor of the approval and adoption of the Transactions (and at any adjournments or postponements thereof) and to cause their personal interest in such vote to be duly disclosed to the Company.
Upon completion of the Merger, the Company will become a privately-held company, the Company’s obligations to file periodic reports under the Exchange Act will be terminated and its Ordinary Shares will no longer be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Taro will mail a proxy statement (the “Proxy Statement”) relating to (a) the extraordinary general meeting of Taro shareholders, (b) the general meeting of holders of Ordinary Shares and (c) the class meeting of the holders of the Founder Shares, at which the shareholders of Taro will consider and vote upon a proposal to approve and adopt the terms of the Transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement. A copy of the Proxy Statement is attached hereto as Exhibit (a)(3)(i) and a copy of the Merger Agreement is attached as Appendix A to the Proxy Statement.
The cross-references below are being supplied pursuant to General Instruction G to Schedule 13E-3 and show the location in the Proxy Statement of the information required to be included in response to the Items of Schedule 13E-3. Pursuant to General Instruction F to Schedule 13E-3, the information contained in the Proxy Statement, including all annexes thereto, is incorporated in its entirety herein by this reference, and the responses to each item in this Transaction Statement are qualified in their entirety by the information contained in the Proxy Statement and the annexes thereto. As of the date hereof, the Proxy Statement is in preliminary form and is subject to completion. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Schedule shall have the meanings given to them in the Proxy Statement.
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